Commentaries:
Barnes' Notes
The sword of him that layeth at him - The word "sword" here ( chereb ) means undoubtedly "harpoon," or a sharp instrument by which an attempt is made to pierce the skin of the monster.
Cannot hold - That is, in the hard skin. It does not penetrate it.
The spear, the dart - These were doubtless often used in the attempt to take the animal. The meaning is, that "they" would not hold or stick to the animal. They flew off when hurled at him.
Nor the habergeon - Margin, "breastplate." Noyes, "javelin." Prof. Lee, "lance." Vulgate, " thorax , breastplate." So the Septuagint, ́ thōraka . The word used here ( ׁ shiryâh ), the same as ׁ shiryôn I Samuel 17:5, I Samuel 17:38; Nehemiah 4:16; II Chronicles 26:14, means properly a "coat of mail," and is so called from its shining - from ׁ shârâh , "to shine." It is not used in the sense of spear or javelin elsewhere, though perhaps it may have that meaning here - denoting a "bright" or "shining" weapon. This agrees best with the connection.
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